A third day at Whissendine C.E.Primary School in Rutland.

We are making a computer game using hyperlinks and so much more.

The game is based upon images, film and other elements from the school, which is playing the part of the school in the fictional village of Tottleville. I will write up the process over the next few weeks.

Making a computer game is a huge task. The biggest commercial games take, literally, tens of thousands of manhours to complete.

We were using so many technologies today but one stuck out for me.

We started the day with a review of what we had acheived so far, but also, what we are starting to learn from the process of multi-part, creative, challenges.

Wallwisher is a great way to share ideas on a common theme.

Frustration!

When we start a new challenge, we are at the pencil and paper stage, but we feel that could reach the moon.

After a while, as the task gets frustrating, we might begin to think we are never going to reach the sky, let alone the moon.

That is when we can just give in. That is the hardest point to get past.

In a work task/ challenge setting, it is getting past the first stages, revising, polishing and sparkling up, that can be frustrating. We always want something to work, perfectly, instantly and first time. When we are faced with developing and refining something, or just getting it to work at all, it can be hard to maintain focus, drive and energy.

Is it worth aiming at the moon at all? Of course, but, when we don’t immediately get there, we could get frustrated and give in, just heading off to start again, forgetting the first moon and heading for a new one.

The class realised that the planning stage was SO important. (Proper Preparation Prevents a Poor Performance).

They had two challenges:

1) building a computer game with style mystery, poignancy and detail

and

2) working out how to work out what to do!

Knowing what to do when you don’t know what to do is a valuable skill.

Knowing what to do when a group doesn’t know what to do is a priceless gift.

This where Wallwisher proves to be really handy. Collect ideas on the process stage. Order them. When one is completed, move it to the side. Add other comments. Re-order stages as the task progresses and we see what problems arise.

After some Lord of the Flies-like chaos, they started to alot sections of the school to certain groups. They also had to discuss where each group would hand over to the next group (How about we come up to a closed door, and stop, and then you start by taking a picture of the open door?)

The photographing section took a bit of organising:

1) how far between “steps” (too close and it would take forever to get through. Too far apart and it won’t feel right).

2) planning a pattern to the photographs (infront – behind – left – right).

3) continuity: is that broom leaning up against the wall in one shot, and lying on the floor in the next?

4) light and dark

and of course they had to find a few textures, from which they could hyperlink to the other features of our game.

One special feature is that, certain textures or objects link off to their poignant explorations of character. (See the Wordles of Character post.)